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Siobhán McPhee’s geographical exploration

It’s probably safe to assume that Siobhán McPhee’s first international move – to Africa at age three – primed her for her current role as professor in the Geography department and Vantage College.

Born in Vancouver, Siobhán spent most of her childhood in Africa and later the Middle East. It was during this time her fascination with geography was born. She moved to Ireland (her mother’s homeland) to study anthropology and economics. That was followed by another stint in the Middle East, where she exchanged the role of student for that of teacher in an Abu Dhabi international school.

She returned to Ireland to complete her first Masters before a research position took her to Bangladesh. It was there she picked up Bangla, her fourth language (she was already fluent in English, Arabic and French), and a keen interest in labour migration. Her next move was to the UK, where she did her second Masters and started her PhD. A scholarship sent her back to Ireland to complete her research, and solidify her position as a thought leader in low-skilled labour migration.

When the role at UBC came up two years ago – a joint position in the Department of Geography and the yet-to-be-opened Vantage College – it was an obvious match.